She is really beautiful, but she is NOT an opera singer. Singing arias with microphone in almost-operatic-sounding voice doesn’t make one an opera singer, singing in operas, in opera theaters where there is no amplification is. She is gorgeous and she has a lovely tone of voice, but she will simply never be heard in opera.

Also, from opera perspective, she is simply not good enough – even if she could by some miracle get herself heard in an opera theater. Her degree by the way was in teaching music not in opera performance.

Oh, and before you accuse me of envy – I am a middle aged engineer without any kind of performing ambitions or desires. Also, as an opera fan, if I were envious of a singer it’d be of real opera stars. Like Anna Netrebko.

In terms of “typical opera stars” – you really have no clue how opera singers look today. Diana Damrau, Natalie Dessay, Danielle De Niese or anybody I mentioned above are all very attractive women.

Technically she is not an opera singer. She is a girl who became the fastest-selling female classical singer ever.
She does sing opera, but without a mike you would never hear at the back.
Any opera singers a have watched on TV always sing in to the mike.

Actually, no, she is not a classical singer. She is a classical crossover singer. Nor does she “sing opera” – singing opera means singing IN live operas where there are no microphones. She mostly sings pop ballads some of which are translated into Italian like Con te partiro or Nella Fantasia. These have nothing to do with opera. Singing in operas not only requires the ability to project the sound so that it is heard in 2000-4000 hall over an orchestra without microphones, it also requires stamina to do it in 2-5 hour performance. It also requires maintaining a beautiful tone throughout, singing the music as written -when Katherine Jenkins sing arias from operas she often transposes them or simplifies them. Operas require good diction, good phrasing, ability to sing long lines on a single breath and taking breath quietly, but most importantly they require artistry, expressiveness. Opera singers also act roles.

As to the microphone, yes, opera singers would use microphones if performing in large outdoor concertrs with bad acoustics, also for recording. In these cases they are usually 3-5 feet away from the mic or they’ll blow it. But when they perform in strictly classical music concerts or in opera theater they do it without microphones.

Classical singers have the same requirements as opera singers but instead of singing in operas they sing art songs – e.g. Schubert, Maler, etc. – in classical music recitals, but also without microphones. This has its own difficulties and requires a very nuanced interpretation.

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